Development of a Mathematical Model for Predicting the Cleaning Efficiency of Stationary Grain Threshers using Dimensional Analysis

A mathematical model based on a dimensional analysis approach was developed to characterize the cleaning efficiency of a stationary thresher. The model variables were: moisture content, bulk density, feed rate, sieve oscillation frequency, threshing speed, sieve hole diameter, air velocity and particle density. The model was validated by comparing the predicted with the measured cleaning efficiency. A high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.97) at a 5% level of significance indicated that the combination of component equations is appropriate.